This invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for water and gas filtration.
Hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes have been employed in many purification systems. Polysulfones are widely used in these ultrafiltration membranes since they are known for their chemical resistance, good mechanical properties, and good thermal stability. However, polysulfones are typically hydrophobic and hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes comprising hydrophobic polysulfones are subject to poor wettability and fouling when used in separation and filtration applications. Despite recent advances in the preparation of polysulfone compositions displaying enhanced hydrophilicity, further improvements and refinements in the performance characteristics of membranes comprising polysulfones are required. The present invention provides additional advances in the field of hydrophilic polyethersulfone compositions and their use in separation techniques employing membranes.